FullMetal Alchemist: A heavy price
by Sturmtrooper
Summary: Ed and Al had successfully transmutated their mother but a heavier price was paid. Read on to see what happens with this new route of fate. rated T for minor blood
1. Chapter 1

Trisha awoke on the familiar wooden floor of her home. She wondered why she was there in the first place as she remembered dying from a disease and that she took her last breath in a bed. She stood up and looked around, spotting herself in a circle that an alchemist would draw. Around the circle, she could see charred pieces of furniture and antiques that looked like as though it was hit by lightning. On the floor were two sets of clothing that looked like as though they belonged to a pair of boys a few years older than Alphonse and Edward. She picked up a shirt but gasped and nearly dropped it when she saw what was stitched into it. In yellow thread, the name Alphonse signalled to her that something was very wrong.

"Ed! Al! You two in here?" Trisha heard a more mature sounding voice of Winry as the door swung open. Winry and Trisha stared at each other, shock plastered all over their faces. "Trisha? H-how?" Winry saw the circle and the clothes on the floor and tears began to form in the corners of her deep blue eyes. "Ed… Alphonse… Y-you idiots…"

As Winry crumpled to the floor, crying her eyes out, Trisha immediately understood why she was alive: Human Transmutation. She understood from what her husband told her about alchemy that Human Transmutation had costed the lives of many alchemists who had all failed to bring a human back to life. She was the first she guessed, but she was brought back at the cost of the lives of her sons. A concept that sickened her to the core of her very being

She had never attempted alchemy before but knew the basics and few other things from her husband, so she cut herself and drew a blood circle in two suits of armour that was just lying around. One was dull grey with spikes and a loincloth whilst another was a blend of classical knight armour and samurai armour. She then drew two circles on her arm and leg, ready to sacrifice her body if she had to, to bring back her boys. She focused on the circles and soon enough, to her surprise, it began to react. Winry looked up in horror, tears streaming down her face, as a white light engulfed her.

Trisha found herself in a white space. All around her, it was blank. The only things that were there were her and a huge, ancient looking door. The door opened slowly, revealing hundreds of smiling mouths and outlines of bodies in the darkness of the door.

 _You seek your sons. The same boys who have done the forbidden, and brought a human back to life._

"Yes, I offer you my arm and leg for my two boys."

 _I shall accept your offer, but there is one more thing to sacrifice._

"I don't care! Give them back!" Tears streamed down Trisha's face as she screamed at the thing.

 _I shall return them, but as punishment, they shall never sleep and never eat. After 100 years I shall claim your children, who shan't ever age nor shall you. They shall then be transformed into the most hated being to keep you company until the end of time._

Trisha awoke again that day. She remembered everything, but what did the door mean when she would be kept company until the end of time. She was brought back to her senses when she felt pain and the scream of Winry. Blood was pouring out of her arm and leg as they were no longer there. Looking up, she could see red eyes in the soul occupied armour.

"M-MOTHER!" cried the samurai-knight armour in Ed's voice. Trisha smiled at her sons before she fainted from pain.

Two days later, Trisha woke up in Pinako's home. She could feel the stitching on the stubs of her arm and leg. She could see that Alphonse and Edward were at the end of the bed, looking ominous and insignificant at the same time. She figured the two suits of armour just stood there, worried out their minds that they might lose their mother a second time. Pinako stood right next to them.

"You gave us quite the scare" Pinako smirked. "Fortunately you pulled through."

Trisha was about to apologise for scaring them when she noticed something on her left hand. It was a star with a dragon around it. The boys followed their mothers gaze the symbol, curious at what it was since it wasn't on her when she died. "Mommy, what's that?" Alphonse asked. Trisha just gave a hollow chuckle.

"My arm and leg wasn't the only thing I sacrificed to bring you two back." The four leaned in to hear what she had to say. "It costed me my humanity."

"What! But if you're not human, yet you look like a human and act like one, then how is it possible!" Ed exclaimed. Trisha held her hand up to silence him.

"My husband, your father, would say I am a homunculus. An artificial human who has inhuman powers." Alphonse and Ed's eyes both glowed a brighter red as if too show how astonished they were. Before either one could speak, Pinako interrupted them.

"Right, let your mother and I have a talk you two. We need to discuss something in private." With a reluctant nod and clanking of metal footsteps, Al and Ed left the room. "Well this is a predicament."

"How long was I dead for?" Trisha wanted to know all she had missed. She missed out on how many birthdays and how many extraordinary things her son did?

"Five years."

Five years. Ed was now 10 and Alphonse was now 9. She had no idea what to do now. Except… "Can you perform the surgery?" Pinako looked surprised and gave a sigh.

"Yes. Winry can help out. She learned how to make Automail limbs a year ago." The old woman looked serious now. "Even after you died, I never told her the truth. You sure she doesn't need to know?"

Trisha looked forlorn. She never would want Winry or her sons to find out the secret she kept from them for so long. "Yes, I am sure."

Ed and Al could barely restrain themselves when they heard their mother scream from the pain that was carried out on her. The Automail limbs were a pain to put on and not just lightly. Grown men were said to scream like baby girls when Automail limbs were put on. After many hours, their mother came out in a wheel chair, her new limbs glinting in the orange sunset. She smiled at the two boys and told them that tomorrow they will train to use their new bodies.

The next morning, Ed and Al sparred against each other. Trisha was practising sword techniques and manoeuvres. Her sword slipped out of her and cut off a huge branch that came hurtling towards her. She cried in shock and braced herself for impact. Instead she felt a tingly feeling that moved down her body. She opened her eyes and looked down at her feet were she expected the branch to be. She saw the branch, going right through her leg that appeared to be made out of water. She looked up to see her sons looking at her, most probably in shock or awe. The homunculus just shrugged, thankful that she didn't meet a second, more grisly death. They practised fighting for the rest of the day.

That afternoon, Winry had gone into town to pick up a package and to take a visit at the town hall. She got the Automail parts from the local postman, James, and took a gentle stroll to the building. She thought about why she never saw her parents. Pinako had always said that they left before she could remember them but she felt something was off every time. Striding through the ebony doorway, she asked the receptionist for a copy of the family births from ten years ago. The red head nodded before going to retrieve the log. Resembool was a small town so the log book wasn't as big as Central City's but it was still thick enough for every month of that year. Handing over to the blonde, the receptionist gave a small smile before turning back to her work.

After Winry had walked back to her home, she sat under an old tree and opened the book. She skimmed through the months until she came to June which she began to read over. She hoped to at least learn of her parents' names. She read over every name: Dimitri Ovanof, Jerimiah Founderson, Edward Elric, Winry Elric, Gustavo Wallace…

Her head stopped. Had she read that right? She looked over and saw it. Yes, there was a Winry Elric. Same date of birth, 11th of June, as her friend and only a five minute difference. She never heard of a Winry Elric in the village and by most likely observation this girl could be Edwards long lost twin. But then she realised that she and Ed shared the same birthday and now that she thought about it, she did have the same mannerisms as him. She began to speculate that SHE was Ed's sister. But if so, why didn't Trisha told her anything? Why didn't Pinako tell her anything? Has she been lied to by some of the closest people in her life for the whole time? With tears threatening to pour, she closed the book and walked over to the house; it was dinnertime anyway.

Pinako was serving up a hot dinner for her, Trisha and Winry since the boys couldn't eat anymore. It was steamed potatoes with a side of bread and some pork. They sat down as Winry came in, clutching a book like as though if she let go of it then something horrifying will happen to her. "What's wrong?" the elderly woman asked.

"I went to town hall today and I…" Her eyes were downcast. "I took at a look of some of the births from ten years ago!" Pinako and Trisha's eyes were wide as she raised her voice. "I need to know: Am I Ed's sister?" Alphonse and Edward, who were sitting down at the table for discussion, craned their necks to their mother, eyes glowing in shock from the question.

Trisha sighed "Winry-"

"Tell Me!"

"… Yes, you're Edwards's twin."

At this startling news she just lost it. She could take the no but instead there was the yes. "WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME!?" She ran off to her room crying all the way.

The suits of armour turned to their mother; this day kept getting crazier and crazier.

Trisha's hands were in her head. "I am such a terrible mother. I had died without telling Winry the truth."

"Mom, you're not a terrible mother. You sacrificed your humanity and limbs for us. I am sure Winry will forgive you." Alphonse said.

"Although I must ask, why didn't you tell us?" Ed added.

"At the time of Winry's birth, it was a meteor shower. Back then, some people were superstitious of meteor showers, if you had twins, one of them was evil. I never believed it but some people did. They would've killed one of you and I couldn't take that. So I gave Winry up to Pinako, people would've believe she was her granddaughter. I didn't tell you because it might have put you in danger if you told anyone." Trisha looked down. "She must hate me now."

"Let us talk with her." Al said. "She might listen to us."

Their mother nodded. They left to see Winry, clanking as they went. When they got to her room, they could hear crying from it. They knocked three times before she opened the door. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from all the crying and there was trails of dried tears descending on her face.

"Go away!" She yelled.

"Winry, we need to talk to you." Ed said.

"I don't care! I just found out that my own mother lied to me and died without even telling me the truth!"

"Whoa! Calm down. We were shocked too but mom did it to protect us." Ed explained what their mother told them. Afterwards, their sister had calmed down. "Listen, this has been a hectic last few days for us. First we bring our mom back, next we discover she has these powers and now we have a sister. I am sure we need a bit of time to adjust to it."

"She really did love me." Then she realised something. "Wait, if you're my brothers, does that mean I can do alchemy too?"

At this the samurai amour just hesitated. "Yeah… I'm not sure. It's basically something you are born with. Like the ability to bend your fingers backwards. Some alchemists can even perform transmutation without a circle like this" Ed clapped his hands but did not expect a bolt of lightning to come out and hit the floor. Ed screamed and stumbled backwards, stopping the process. The two grownups came running in.

"What's going on?" asked a very concerned Trisha.

"I don't know! Brother just clapped his hands and a transmutation just happen!" Alphonse explained in near gibberish.

"You must have gotten the power to transmutate without a circle. Your father was able to do it."

Winry couldn't believe it. "Wow and to think all you guys need to do now is just clap your hands like this." She emphasised her point and all was calm until she shrieked as a bolt of lightning came from her hand. The entire room fell silent.

"What now?" asked Alphonse all of a sudden.

"I have no idea." Came his mother's reply.


	2. Chapter 2

Four years. That is how long it has been since their mother came back from the dead. Sure they had problems regarding their 'conditions' and after a while people did find out about the whole sisterly thing. Only one or two of the village-folk were fanatics and surprisingly no one was concerned about a dead woman being brought back to life.

"You'd think they would think it more of Satanism that our mother is alive after she died." was Edwards's response to how unnaturally normal things have been after news had spread. Of course, because of this they couldn't get a job almost anywhere. Not even at the military bases even though they are recruiting right off the boat. They needed money now. They came up with a variety of options: Bakers, mechanics, even postal services. Most of them were ones that had to be started by themselves. A few had certain conditions like males only (with Ed and Al's condition, they were not really seen as males since they are _Souls_ of men infused into armour) and others just had too little pay.

"How about mercenary?" asked Winry for the sixth time. In four years that was all she came up with.

"I see no other option." Trisha had finally given in. The small fortune that her husband left her had dwindled to 400 Cenz. Almost not enough to last the month. "Well if we are going to be mercenaries, what will we name ourselves?"

Pinako, Winry, Alphonse and Edward thought for a moment.

"Resembool Reserves?" suggest Alphonse.

"Dogs of war?" Asked Pinako

"Fullmetal?" Said Winry.

"Alchemists?" Ed and Winry looked at each other and simultaneously shouted out "Fullmetal Alchemists!"

The homunculus laughed. "Fullmetal Alchemists it is."

After deciding that they are going to be adding an extension on to their house for 250 Cenz, they made an advertisement for their services. For the next three days they waited as their home was upgraded, then a man came along. He was a tall red head with a bushy beard and almond eyes.

"Hello." He greeted. "I am looking to acquire your services. You see, there is this town in the desert and I need you to deliver a parcel to a Miss Rose."

Trisha looked at him. "How far away and how important?"

"It is a three day journey to the station nearest to it before three hours in the desert. The package must be delivered in four days. I guess that is a small window of spare time for you."

The woman shook her head. "No, it is alright. Really. But it will cost you 500 Cenz I am afraid."

"500 CENZ!" the man exclaimed.

"200 for the journey, 50 for the package and 150 for insurance. I believe that is cheaper than most other post offices."

The man grumbled and paid up front. "This has better be worth it, otherwise you'll be hearing from my lawyers."

When he left, Trisha called to her children. "I am going to the desert to deliver a package."

"Can we come?" Asked Winry.

"Of course. Pinako! Can you look after the house whilst we are gone?" The old woman nodded.

The train ride was longer than anticipated meaning they only had a good five hours until their time was up. After leaving the station, they were met with unrelenting desert. None of them knew how far or how long they walked, they just knew that Trisha and her daughter was thirsty.

"Ugh! I can't take any more of this! At least you and Ed are lucky Alphonse." Winry looked around but only saw sand. "Guys?"

A muffled sound came from underneath them. "Sis, we sunk again." Stated Ed for the fourth time. After pulling her brothers from the sand, they trudged for another five minutes until they saw a town in the distance. Winry pulled the suits of armour at cheetah speed whilst their mother caught up with them. She ploughed through the streets and let go of her brothers as she jumped in a fountain. She gulped down greedily as her mother stopped, sucking in air.

"OW!" Trisha looked at her daughter as a man hit her on the head. "What's your problem?"

"How many times do I have to tell you kids to stay out of the fountain?" The bald man shouted.

"Listen here, I don't know who you think we are but I just came from that desert and I am really thirsty so back off!" Winry retaliated.

The man was confused. "Wait. You're not from Lior?"

"Well that explains it." The man, a bartender, said. "I thought you were a kid who was taking a sneaky sip from the fountain."

"No, my daughter has been well brought up." Trisha took a sip of her water. She was covering up any exposed Automail so no one would see it.

"Yeah. Still, what is a family like yours doing all the way out here? Are you here for one of Father Cornello's sermons?"

Trisha shook her head. "No, I was supposed to deliver a package to someone called Rose and they just tagged along."

The man scratched his head. "Rose? Who would send her a package? She has no family to speak of and her boyfriend died a few months ago. So I have no idea who would send her a package."

Just then, a tanned girl with pink hair at the front of her brown hair appeared. Cheerful. Happy.

"Hello!" She said.

The man waved at her. "Hey Rose, these guys are here to deliver something to you."

"Really? Who is it from?" Rose asked.

The Homunculus (They don't know that) just said "This red haired man with a beard."

Rose's eyes went wide. "Oh him. He came around Lior a year ago after my boyfriend died and decided to 'court' me. I keep rejecting him since he came on me right after my boyfriend's death." She said with a huff. "Besides, Father Cornello will bring him back to life. Hey since you're not busy, want to pay a visit to the church? I'm on my way there."

The Elrics were suspicious of this 'Father Cornello'. Whoever he is, certainly knows nothing about the Taboo of bringing humans back to life. _No Human Can Be Brought Back To Life!_ "Sure!" Alphonse said before any of them could reject. After a while, they arrived at a huge, sand coloured (Big surprise) domed building.

"Hey, aren't you two cooking in that armour?" Rose asked the Samurai and Rhino armours ( **I didn't know what culture Alphonse's armour is from. Can you guys give me a hint so I can fix it in later chapters? Thanks**.)

"Y-Yes but it is really time consuming to take it off!" Alphonse said hastily. Rose just looked at them and shrugged. She then realised something.

"Wait. You're not a postal service yet you deliver packages." She stated.

Trisha realised she would have to tell the girl the truth, even if she is religious. "It was a courier job. We're really mercenaries."

Rose's eyes went wide once more. "Mercenaries?"

"Yes, we're the Fullmetal Alchemists. We started out a few days ago."

"Oh! Well, would you like to pray for the future prosperity of your business?" the pink haired girl asked.

Trisha saw this as an opportune way to see if there is anything strange with this priest. "Of course. Would you mind taking us to Father Cornello? I would like to ask for his blessing as well."

The girl giggled. "Of course."

With that they followed her to Father Cornello. They went deeper and deeper into the basement of the church, there they met him. He was a bald man in black priest robes. "Hello Rose." He said.

"Hello Father Cornello." Rose gestured to the group behind her. "They would like to ask for a blessing for their business."

As if on cue, Winry snorted. "Don't get me wrong, my family may believe in your holiness, but I would like to see a miracle before I start to believe."

Father Cornello smiled. "Very well then."

He grabbed a dead parrot and held his hand, which has a red ring on, over it. The ring glowed and then, the bird opened its eyes and flew. The Elrics were astonished. He just brought something back to life WITHOUT giving up something in return. The laws of alchemy states that in order to gain anything, something of equal value must be sacrificed. Father Cornello had to be a real miracle worker, or that ring was the legendary Philosophers Stone. A relic which negates the rules of alchemy. But of course that would mean that the man before them was a charlatan and that he was really an alchemist.

"Father Cornello, I noticed your ring glowed when you brought it back to life. Tell me did you know that amongst alchemists there is a legend amongst alchemist of something that negates the rule of _Equivalent Exchange?_ " Trisha narrowed her eyes. "If my observations are correct, and that ring DID glow, then you are really an alchemist with the Philosopher Stone."

Rose was agape but Trisha carried on. "You had tricked these people into thinking you are a priest, though why remains a mystery. You even told Rose that you can perform alchemic taboo by bringing the dead back to life."

The pink haired girl shook her head in denial. But she understood what the woman meant by taboo. Was Father Cornello really using forbidden methods to perform his miracles? "Please, tell them it isn't true. Tell me it isn't true. That you're not using the forbidden to perform your miracles!"

Father Cornello's gaze turned from caring to cold in under a second. "Sorry Rose. But you all know too much for me to let go. I cannot have you putting a seed of doubt in these people and ruining my plans." Suddenly, the parrot turned into a raging monster as it grew to 8 feet in length and 6 feet in height. Its feet turned into talons powerful enough to pierce a thick leather shield of 5 inches thickness. Its once calm eyes became a bloody red and filled with hatred. Letting out a shriek, it flew towards its prey.

"Sis and I will go for the legs, you and mom go for the wings!" Shouted Ed to Alphonse.

"Oh you won't be ganging up on him like that. He has a friend who would very much enjoy playing with you!" Father Cornello shouted as a chimera came out of the shadows. He was a cross between a lion, a tiger, a cheetah and a panther. It snarled its slobber as it leaped on powerful legs to Winry and Ed. It slashed at Edwards head, knocking the helmet of and giving the illusion of decapitation whilst the bird latched it skin tearing talons onto his mother.

"NO!" Rose screamed. Father Cornello just laughed but it was cut short when he and Rose noticed that Trisha was not agony nor bleeding and the suit of armour Ed 'was in' was actually empty. Then it moved and stood upright, but nothing was inside. "Wha- What?"

She saw their mother tearing off her jacket and gloves, revealing a black tank top and her Automail arm. "See this, Rose. This is our punishment for breaking the laws of alchemy." Trisha said with sadness in her voice.

A spark caught Rose's eyes as she saw the siblings form weapons from the ground, ready to fight. Ed had a Halberdier, Alphonse had a sword and Winry was armed with two small daggers. They charged the monsters and in under a minute had them slain. As the blood pooled onto the floor, Father Cornello ran out.

He ran past many of the rooms, vacant of any of his followers. He ran past his room which he used to broadcast his 'messages'. In it, he saw Winry Elric, sitting on the table.

"Tell me Father Cornello, why trick these people? Why have them take part in your charade?" She asked.

"He he, so I can become all powerful. Lior is just the beginning. I will spread my influence all over, eventually amounting so many followers I can start a successful takeover. The best part is that nothing can stop my army of pawns!" Cornello grinned.

Winry smirked. "Well I wouldn't say that." She gestured to where her mother was hiding, Rose cowering behind her, eyes opened both literally and metaphorically. In Trisha's hand, was the very microphone Cornello used when broadcasting over the city radio network. Even now, the man could hear the cries of anger from the locals for deceiving them.

He broke a piece of wood into a shard and plunged it into the woman who in her surprise dropped the device on to the floor where Cornello stomped it to smithereens.

Trisha laughed. At the very last second, she turned her chest region, clothes and all, into water. Cornello and Rose's eyes grew wide for the last time that day. "Silly, you're going to have to do a lot better than that to kill me." She removed the sharp object from her body and threw it away. The two of the Elrics, with Rose in tow, left the faker to the consequences of his actions. Outside, they met up with Alphonse and Edward.

"Well Rose," Al began "What are you going to do now?"

Rose looked at the four of them and made her decision. "Well, we were a nightmare of a town before Cornello came along. With him gone, it is going to go full chaos again. I can't stay here so, can I come with you and work for you."

A few days later, the company of five arrived in Resembool, intent on making Rose feel welcomed into their fold. Walking up the hill they saw Pinako waving at them. "Welcome back." She took notice of the pink haired girl. "Who is this?"

"Pinako, this is Rose. She's… from a broken home and would like to live with us. She is also a new employee." Trisha said.

"Well then, better get you settled in. By the way, the extension finished a day after you left. It has eight rooms in."

The matriarch of the Elrics thanked the old woman and they went in to see the interior. Four rooms on the left, and four rooms on the right. Then a man appeared from one of them.

"I forgot to tell you," added Pinako "This man came by two days ago looking for work. Goes by the name 'Scar'. Seems like you got two new employees to take care of."

They looked at the man who had a serious expression on his face before he gave a gruff and retreated into his room. He just sent shivers down the spines of the Elrics.


End file.
